Jason Wu hit the ground hard.
Stone.Cold, ancient, unmoving stone.
He groaned, pushing himself upright as dust drifted off his clothes. His palms stung. His ribs ached. His vision pulsed in and out.
But he was alive.
The light from the door behind him faded—and the moment it vanished, an oppressive silence swallowed the space whole.
Jason exhaled shakily."…Where am I now?"
Longwu Sword vibrated faintly from its sheath.
["Somewhere you were very much not supposed to reach, that's for sure."]
Jason blinked rapidly, letting his eyes adjust.
The chamber around him slowly came into focus.
And he froze.
It wasn't a room.
It was a sanctum.
Massive pillars carved with looping, fractal-like symbols supported an impossible ceiling—so high it vanished into shadow. The floor beneath him wasn't flat stone, but interlocking rings of silver and obsidian, each glowing faintly like a heartbeat.
The space felt old.Older than the Xuan World.Older than the masked hunters.Older than fate itself.
Jason swallowed back a knot of unease.
"…Longwu. What is this place?"
Longwu hesitated.A rare thing.
["…I have theories. None of them comforting."]
Jason took a careful step forward.
Immediately—a ripple shot across the floor, activating faint lines of light beneath the rings.A pulse ran outward.Then another.
As if the room recognized someone had entered.
Jason stiffened.
"Uh… did I just wake something up?"
Longwu sighed deeply.["Yes. Congratulations. You are now officially the unluckiest Wu in history."]
Jason rolled his eyes."Thanks. Very motivational."
["I strive for excellence."]
Jason continued deeper.
The chamber stretched far—farther than physics should allow—its walls lined with inset alcoves. Some contained shattered crystals. Others held nothing but dust. Others glowed faintly with unreadable markings.
Every few steps, Jason felt like something was watching.
Not a person.Not a spirit.Something conceptual, heavy, ancient.
He tried not to look over his shoulder.
After a long walk, he reached the center.
And saw it.
A monolith.
A single black stone slab rising from the ground, edges sharp as if freshly carved. Its surface reflected no light—absorbing it instead—like a fragment of night hammered into shape.
Jason whispered, almost afraid his voice would disturb the air:
"…That doesn't look friendly."
Longwu's voice turned firm.
["Jason. Before you touch anything in here—DON'T."]
Jason opened his mouth to retort—
Then froze.
Because something moved behind the monolith.
A flicker.A shadow.Then a figure stepped into view.
A hooded figure.
Jason's blood went ice-cold.
Not the Observer.Not the masked Executioner.
Someone else.
Someone… familiar.
The hood was lowered this time.
Revealing—
Jason's breath stopped.
"Lily…?"
She stood there—soft eyes, snow-white hair flowing gently, wearing the same clothing she always did. Her expression filled with warm relief as she stepped forward.
"Jason. You're safe. Thank goodness…"
Jason's heartbeat quieted—for half a second.
Then Longwu roared in his mind:
["JASON. THAT'S NOT HER."]
Jason froze.
Lily—or the thing wearing her shape—tilted her head.
"Why are you tensing up? It's me."
Jason's hand crept to Longwu's hilt.
"…No. Lily is at Starcrest. She couldn't possibly be here."
The Lily imitation smiled.Too gently.Too perfectly.
"That's what you want to believe."
Jason's grip tightened.
"I don't know who—or what—you are. But stay away."
The imitation sighed softly and stepped closer.
"You always do this… pushing people away when they care the most."
Jason swallowed.
And for a second—just a second—a piece of him wanted to believe.
Longwu growled:
["Jason. Don't you dare fall for that manipulative—"]
The fake Lily's voice sharpened abruptly.
"You shouldn't have come here, Jason Wu."
Her eyes turned black.
The room's temperature dropped instantly, like the chamber inhaled all warmth.
Jason stumbled back instinctively.
"Who are you?"
The false Lily dissolved—her body tearing like fabric, unraveling into ink-black threads—
Revealing something else underneath.
Something humanoid, but not human.A shape like a silhouette cut out from the world.Limbs drawn too long.Movement too smooth.
Jason's lungs locked.
Longwu answered grimly:
["That… is an Echo Wraith."]
Jason nearly choked. "A WHAT?!"
["A guardian of forbidden fate. They mimic faces you trust. To lure intruders."]
Jason stared dryly."So it's a shape-shifting demon therapist?"
["Pretty much, yes."]
The Wraith's head twitched at an unnatural angle.
Then—
It rushed him.
Jason barely rolled aside as a razor-thin claw carved a burning line through the air, slicing through stone like butter.
He leapt back, drawing Longwu in one fluid motion.The chamber pulsed—even the pillars shimmered under the Wraith's shriek.
Jason exhaled shakily."Longwu, tell me you have advice!"
["Yes. FIGHT."]
"Very specific, thank you!"
Jason steadied his stance.
The Wraith lunged again, limbs flickering like smoke yet striking like steel. Jason dodged to the left—but the claw nicked his shoulder, spinning him partially around.
"Gah—!"
Longwu barked:
["They exploit hesitation. Clear your mind or you're dead."]
Jason grit his teeth.
"I'm trying!"
The Wraith shifted, its body swirling, trying to become Lily again—
Jason thrust forward instantly.
"Not falling for that!"
Longwu hummed proudly.
["Good boy."]
Jason's slash met the Wraith's form—but passed through like cutting mist.
Jason stumbled."What—?!"
["Their bodies aren't real. You must strike their core. Look for its shimmer."]
Jason scanned the creature's form—
And saw it.A faint, rippling dot of white deep within its shadowy torso.
Jason inhaled.
"Alright… got it."
The Wraith shrieked, contorting its limbs unnaturally before lunging again.
Jason jumped back, somersaulted, and steadied himself mid-air.Longwu hummed, gathering sword-qi along its edge.
Jason exhaled.
Then—
He charged.
The Wraith lashed out—Jason ducked under the swipe, slid across the ground, and thrust upward with precise force.
Longwu struck the shimmering core—
SHRIIIIIIP—!
The Wraith screamed.
Its body convulsed, black threads unraveling into vapor.The chamber trembled under the sound as the creature disintegrated.
In seconds—it was gone.
Jason exhaled shakily, wiping sweat from his brow.
"So that's an Echo Wraith… I hate it."
Longwu snorted.["Welcome to forbidden areas."]
Jason let his pulse settle.
But before he could relax—
The monolith behind him pulsed.
A faint glow spread across its surface.
Then—
It spoke.
Not aloud—but directly into Jason's mind.
"JASON WU."
Jason jerked."…No. Nope. No mysterious death monoliths calling my name."
Longwu was silent.
Too silent.
Jason whispered, "Longwu… you know what that thing is, don't you?"
Longwu hesitated.Then spoke quietly—dangerously quiet.
["…That is not a monolith.It is a Record.A Record of those who defied fate."]
Jason felt cold sweat trickle down his spine.
The monolith glowed again.
"ONE WHO DEFIES.COME CLOSER."
Jason shook his head."Nope. Absolutely not."
But the door behind him—the one he came through—had vanished.
Not closed.
Completely erased.
Jason's chest tightened.
"Oh come ON—!"
Longwu sighed.["Jason. Whatever it wants to show you… you might need to see it."]
Jason's fists clenched.
He approached slowly.Cautiously.Ready to bolt at the slightest wrong movement.
As he stepped close—the monolith's surface rippled.
Letters formed.Symbols shaped themselves.
Then an image appeared—
Jason froze.
His heart stopped.
Because the image wasn't of someone else.
It was him.
Not present him.Not future him.
A version of him with cold eyes.Darker aura.Wearing the Fate Severance Gauntlet fully awakened.
A version of him standing atop a battlefield of corpses—masked ones, humans, beasts, unknown creatures—all fallen.
Jason whispered:
"…What… is this?"
Longwu's voice was barely a murmur.
["Jason…this chamber doesn't show random futures.It shows… the path you are on."]
Jason stepped backward, shaking.
"No. No, I'd never—"
But the Record interrupted.
"THE FATELESS PATH.THE COST OF DEFYING."
Another sequence flashed—
Jason standing alone in a void.Alone.Utterly alone.Everyone he cared about gone.
Jason felt his stomach twist violently.
"No. I don't believe this."
The final image appeared.
Jason—shackled in chains of light—kneeling—surrounded by masked beings—
And the Observer standing before him, touching his forehead.
The same cold voice echoed:
"RESET COMPLETE."
Jason's knees nearly gave out.
The monolith dimmed.
Then—
A single line carved itself into the stone, glowing like fresh blood:
THE FIRST DEFIERS ALWAYS END ALONE.
Jason stared at the words, trembling.
"…Why… why show me this?"
Longwu didn't answer.
The chamber didn't answer.
But then—a soft scrape sounded behind him.
Jason spun instantly.
A figure stepped into the chamber from the shadows.
Black robes.Silver mask.Silent steps.
The Observer.
The same one from the path.
But the crack on its mask—from when Jason escaped—had spread.
Fractured lines ran across it like lightning scars.
The Observer spoke:
"You were not meant to reach this chamber."
Jason reached for Longwu.
"Too late."
The Observer tilted its head, voice calm and terrifying.
"Then you leave me no choice.Jason Wu…your Termination Directive is now authorized."
Jason's breath froze.
Longwu whispered:
["…Jason. Run."]